


Moving Forward

by NeoVenus22



Category: Power Rangers Operation Overdrive
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-26
Updated: 2009-12-26
Packaged: 2017-10-05 07:24:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoVenus22/pseuds/NeoVenus22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mack and Rose both find themselves dealing with some awkward feelings and apologies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving Forward

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: 'Once A Ranger' I and II

Mack started at the unexpected rapping and turned around. Rose was standing at the entrance of his room, leaning against the doorframe. He hadn't realized she'd followed him up. "Hi."

"Hey," she said quietly. "Um."

"Is everything okay?" he asked. It was their first moment alone since he'd come to visit her at the college. He was trying not to think about the way she'd almost thrown herself at him. He was definitely trying not to think about the way he'd stupidly reciprocated.

Rose crossed her arms over her chest and Mack realized she was nervous. He didn't think Rose got nervous. He'd seen her kick some major Chiller butt without breaking a sweat, and he'd walked in on her lecturing a roomful of people, looking bored while she did it. Definitely not nervous.

"I just wanted to apologize," she said. "You know. For leaving."

"Right," he said, at a loss.

Rose seemed to misinterpret his non-answer as Mack writing her off. "It's just that I didn't really think there was a reason for me to stay, you know? Your dad's always had everything under control, and Mr. Park was good at the tech stuff too, so it wasn't like... I mean, there was really no..."

"You don't have to explain yourself," he cut in quietly. Exhausted, physically and mentally, he sat down on the edge of his bed. Rose hadn't really talked too much during the team meeting right before they'd all left. It was weird seeing this side of her, seeing the way she dismissed her own usefulness, when she was worth way more to the team than he was. "I mean... I would've left too, if this wasn't my house. Or if I'd had somewhere to go, something to do. This team," he said, knowing he was venturing into dangerous territory with the admission, "this team, you guys, it's all I've got. And it's great, don't get me wrong, but..." He shrugged, looked hopelessly at the hands folded in his lap. "I don't know."

"It was lonely?" she suggested.

"Yeah. I missed you. Guys," he covered quickly, when he realized his error. "I missed you guys."

If she'd caught his slip, she didn't give it away. Or maybe she just didn't understand what it meant. Either way, Rose just smiled at her shoes. "I know. Me too."

"You had something to do, at least," he said.

"It's hard to talk about complex scientific theories when you've gone out and done all the things we've done. I've spent a chunk of my life reading about things that were 'theories' and 'myths,' only to go and find out they were true. How can I go back and pretend like they're not?"

Mack didn't say anything. He knew she didn't mean to, and she probably didn't even realize she'd done it, but he couldn't help but feel more insignificant with her every word. He'd spend a few weeks lounging around, feeling useless in his own home all over again, but worse than ever. The new team was running off, joking around with his dad and Spencer, running off to save the world, and on top of that, Mack's own friends had gone back to their spectacular lives, leaving him to sweep the base and try not to feel like a stranger.

It didn't help that even with them back, he still felt like the odd man out. Too young, not as smart or as experienced, plus he had that healthy dose of nepotism working for him. He'd proven himself again and again, and knew he'd won their trust and respect, but sometimes...

"Hey Mack?"

He looked up sharply, having almost forgotten for a second that Rose was there. She hadn't moved from the doorway, but she was tense as though she wanted to. "Yeah?" he said, keeping his voice as neutral as he could manage.

"I'm glad you came looking for me first."

Mack nodded on the verge of a smile. It would've been easy to let the comment slide. It would have been safe to point out that she was the one with unrestricted access to a massive university library that would have exactly what he was looking for. But if nothing else, he'd learned that it never hurt to take chances.

"Well, you're the one I trust most with this sort of thing," he said carefully. All right, so maybe he wasn't taking leaping-off-a-cliff chances. "And I'm sorry I ran off on my own. It would've been much easier if the two of us had worked together." In between his moments of dogged determination to find Excelsior and help save the day, he'd danced around images of the two of them bent over a huge book, him working his way through the information while she translated it into regular English for him. It was funny, the things he took for granted.

"Next time," she said, with a small but genuine smile.

"Yeah," he agreed, prompted to his own grin. "There's always a next time, right?"

"Once a Ranger..."

"Even when teaching?"

"Even when sweeping," she retorted.

A silence fell over them, not uncomfortable, but somewhat pregnant. "You want to go get lunch or something?" he said.

Rose contemplated this and finally nodded. "All right, yeah."

"Okay." Mack got to his feet and gallantly waited for her to leave first. He thought he heard Ronny and Will down the hall playing a game at top volume, not to mention at the top of their lungs. "It's good having you guys back."

"Yes, that's why you're trying to get me out of the house," she teased with a smile that made him want to blush as red as the trim on his shiny suit. She surprised him, though, by continuing, "It's good to be back."

"I really did miss you," he said carefully, letting it hang there. She could interpret how she wanted, he decided. Rose was smart, she'd find what she was looking for. He'd deal with the consequences.

Rose linked her arm through his as they headed towards the door. "Yeah," she said again, but there was something a little different to her answer this time, something else. "Me too." Mack felt satisfied with the consequences.


End file.
